Category Archives: Sauces

In my life I have been lucky to live and learn the cooking of many different countries. India and Nepal factor in this recipe. What was I doing in Nepal, well that is something for another day.

Ingredients

Marinate

Boneless chicken thighs, each cut into three pieces

1 cup thick Yogurt

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder

2 tsp Corriander powder –

Salt, to season

1tbsp Ginger-garlic paste

Juice of 1 lime

For Grilling:

3 -5 tsp Extra virgin olive or coconut oil

Method

Wash the chicken pieces well in cold water and pat dry well. Then make 1-2 deep cuts on each piece on either sides. In a bowl add the lime juice and salt to the chicken pieces, coat on all sides and leave it aside for 10 minutes.

In the meantime take another bowl add all the spices with the yogurt and mix well, taste when mixed and adjust the salt seasoning to taste.

Add the chicken pieces to this turning them in the mixture and cover the bowl with a lid or cling film. Refrigerate for 8 hours or more, best to leave it overnight.

The next day take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

Pre-heat the oven grill for 225 C (435) F Fan grill.

Line a baking tray with foil and lay the pieces of chicken leave sufficient space between the pieces. To this drizzle some oil on top and coat the oil on all sides of the chicken.

Now set the tray under the grill in the center and let it cook for 20 minutes check and turn the pieces over after 10 minutes. Make sure that it does not burn too much.

Serve hot with onion rings and mint yoghurt sauce. (recipe below)

Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce/ Chutney

Ingredients

2 medium bunches of fresh mint, cleaned and leaves separated

Fresh coriander leaves – a few strands

4 Green chilli – slit in the center and de-seeded

Salt – to taste

3-4 tbsp thick yogurt

Fresh ginger, 25mm (1 inch) pealed and chopped fine

Oil- 1 tsp

Method

In a skillet/ pan heat oil and once it turns hot add the ginger and stir wait for the raw smell to go, now add the mint leaves and sauté for 2 minutes and then add the corriander leaves. Keep sauteing till the leaves shrink to 1/4 of their original volume.

Add the green chilli and salt, stir and then remove from the heat. Let it cool down well.

Transfer the mix to a food processor, add only 1 tbsp yogurt and blend until fine and smooth, now add the remaining yogurt and blend again.

This sauce has to be one of my all time favourites. It is so easy to make and the better the quality of chocolate that you use the better the resulting taste. It stores well for a couple of weeks in a sealed container in the fridge and it’s a sauce that can be made ahead of time and warmed up.

Ingredients

400g (14oz) of dark 80% coca chocolate, chopped in pieces

1/2 cup of full milk

1/2 cup of cream (heavy)

1/4 cup granulated sugar or raw honey

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 orange, zested

25g (1oz) butter

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method

Add the chocolate, sugar, chilli, orange zest, milk and cream to a heavy based saucepan and melt the chocolate over low heat, stirring continually until all the chocolate is melted and combined with the other ingredients.

Add the vanilla and butter, remove from the heat and combine then set the sauce aside to cool. Reheat it briefly before using it.

Dairy Free Version

If people do not want to use milk and cream they can replace them with 1 cup of coconut milk that has warmed up to a gentle simmer, let cool slightly and added once the chocolate has melted. Add and combine without the butter.

Any leftover sauce keeps well refrigerated for many weeks in a sealed container.

Sausages are a great go to when you want a quick and satisfying meal. Pork or lamb sausages are great with a honey mustard glaze. This recipe is easy to do and the glaze imparts a wonderful layer of taste.

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 good quality pork or lamb sausages

1 tsp wholegrain or Dijon mustard

2 tbsp honey

Note – increase the quantities of the glaze if you want more sauce that can be warmed up and served on the side following cooking.

Heat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Mix the mustard and honey together in a small bowl.

Place the sausages in a roasting tray. Rub the glaze all over the sausages and place the tray in the oven.

Cook for about half an hour until brown and cooked through. Be sure not to over cook the sausages and never prick them otherwise you will loose lots of sweet flavour and they can become dry.

Serve with your choice of sides. This goes very well with sweet potato wedges and come sour cream on the wedges.

Grab a small saucepan and put it over a low heat. Smash 2 garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife and drop them into the saucepan.

Pour in the wine and submerge the rosemary sprig. If your rosemary too long to fit in the saucepan cut it in half with some scissors.

Let the red wine simmer with the herbs over a medium heat until the volume has reduced by half. This should take about 20 minutes depending on how hot your stove is. Give it a swirl around the pan every 10 minutes to combine.

Once reduced, pour in the stock along with a some fresh ground black pepper.

Again, let the sauce reduce by half over a medium heat (let it simmer, but not boil) for about another 20 mins.

You can make this ahead of time and reheat. Leaving it on a lower heat for longer will give you a much more concentrated sauce.

Strain through a fine sieve, or just spoon out of the saucepan over the meat

I love to make this dish when I have friends coming over for a relaxed meal.

Ingredients

1 kg (2.2 lb) pork belly, deboned

Sea salt

Olive or coconut oil

Marinade

2 tsp five-spice powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Method

Boil some water in a pot large enough to hold the pork belly with 2-3 teaspoons salt, and place the pork in the boiling water, making sure it is totally submerged.

Boil uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove and drain on a wire rack. Pat dry with a paper towel and leave for about 20 minutes to dry out.

Score the skin vertically with a knife, about 1/2 cm apart. Make sure it cuts through to the fat, as this will allow the fat to render.

Rub about 1/2 tbsp of salt over the meat and skin. Combine marinade in a bowl and rub all over the meat (but not the skin). Place in the fridge uncovered for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Rub a little salt and oil over the skin. Place on a wire rack skin side up, and pour about 1-2 cups of water into the roasting pan so that it steams the meat in the oven.

Place the pan in the middle rack in the oven and roast for 1 hour. Increase temperature to 220C ( 425 F) and roast for another half hour or until skin starts to brown and sizzle. Turn on the grill/broiler on high to crisp up the skin, which should begin to bubble, crackle and pop! When it starts to char, and the skin is evenly crisped all over, remove from oven and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes before slicing/chopping into pieces. Best to use a chopper to do this, if not, a regular chef’s knife is fine too.

Serve with seasonal fresh vegetables of your choice and creamy mashed sweet potato. I also love to serve this with a light red wine jus.

For the Red Wine Jus

1 cup dry red wine, whatever your drinking

1 cup chicken or beef stock (broth)

2 cloves of garlic,

1 sprig of fresh rosemary

Grab a small saucepan and put it over a low heat. Smash 2 garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife and drop them into the saucepan.

Pour in the wine and submerge the rosemary sprig. If your rosemary too long to fit in the saucepan cut it in half with some scissors.

Let the red wine simmer with the herbs over a medium heat until the volume has reduced by half. This should take about 20 minutes depending on how hot your stove is. Give it a swirl around the pan every 10 minutes to combine.

Once reduced, pour in the stock along with a some fresh ground black pepper.

Again, let the sauce reduce by half over a medium heat (let it simmer, but not boil) for about another 20 mins.

You can make this ahead of time and reheat. Leaving it on a lower heat for longer will give you a much more concentrated sauce.

Strain through a fine sieve, or just spoon out of the saucepan over the meat

Heat oil in a 1 medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Add sea salt, garlic, and shallots, and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir until all ingredients are well combined.

Bring to simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook with the lid ajar, stirring periodically until mixture reduces and thickens, 20-30 minutes.

Pour sauce into a wide-mouth glass jar, cover and refrigerate. Use within 2 weeks or you can freeze in cubes for later use.

Pork chops cooked on the BBQ takes on a wonderful taste in my mind. I love the juices from the fats and with the sweet and sour glaze is a great match with the pork.

Ingredients

1/2 cup honey

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for grill

1 lime, juiced

1 teaspoon red chilli flakes

8 thinly cut (about 15mm , 3/4 inch thick) pork chops

Method

In a plastic resealable bag, big enough to fit the chops, mix together the honey, oil, lime juice, and chilli flakes. Add the pork chops and marinate for at least 20 minutes. I leave them over night when I can.

Preheat a BBQ to medium-high.

When the BBQ is hot remove the pork from the marinade and lightly brush the BBQ with a little oil. Put the chops on the grill and cook until grill marks form, about 2 minutes. Rotate the chops 90 degrees, and grill for 2 minutes more, to create diamond grill marks. Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from grill to a serving platter and serve.